Top Nexteer officials announced the job openings following the company's Global Leadership Conference held Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Horizons Conference Center in Saginaw Township.

More than 300 Nexteer leaders, including more than 75 from around the world, gathered to reflect on the past year of operations for the automotive steering maker and plan for the new year ahead.

Spokesman Max Muncey said Nexteer officials flew in from such places as Brazil, China, France, Germany,
India, Mexico and Poland, and are staying through the week to participate in break-out
sessions and to visit Nexteer facilities.

“This year, there are
more international people at this event than ever before, which is
representative of just how Nexteer's business has been growing as a
global company,” Muncey said.

Bresson said Nexteer is enjoying “extremely rapid growth” and there’s more ahead.

“We are growing everywhere in the globe, and including in Saginaw here, from an operations standpoint,” he told The Saginaw News. “We keep investing and increasing our research and development …. We have about 60 to 70 job openings in the area of engineering.”

Adding, “Most of them are actually here in Saginaw (County), where we have our global engineering center.”

Lubischer said the coming year will be “quite extraordinary” for Nexteer.

“We are looking at substantial growth in all of our product lines and gaining more global presence in all product lines that we have. In fact, we are going to launch numerous new programs next year ... meaning new technology that will be launched, new customers that we are attaining and also new locations where we are launching product.”

Dralle said Nexteer’s revenue is about $2.2 billion and that number is expected to grow considerably in the next several years.

When asked what she’d like to see in the coming year to ensure Nexteer’s continued growth, she said a good working relationship with unionized employees, partnerships with customers and technology growth are in focus.

Lubischer said the company is investing in its Saginaw operations, located near the intersection of Interstate 75 and highway M-46.

“We are here for the long term. We are here for good. We have established a long tradition of strong technology leadership in Saginaw and that is, that is visible by our people, by our capital that we have invested there and by everything that surrounds us, the tools that we have, and again the expertise with the people that are working for us," he said.

According to the company, Nexteer in the past two years has announced investment of more than $220 million in its Saginaw operations.

“What is being thought out in Saginaw is valid for our future growth in the world. What is being invented, what’s being developed in Saginaw has a huge impact into the future success of Nexteer, globally," Lubischer said.

Those interested in applying for employment opportunities with Nexteer may visit www.nexteer.com/careers/ for more information.

— Heather Jordan covers business for MLive/The Saginaw News/The Bay City Times. She can be reached at 989-450-2652 or hjordan@mlive.com. For more business news, follow her on Twitter and Facebook.